WHAT COMMUNICATION IS

• Morris Philip Wolf and Shirley Kuiper define communication

as “ a process of sharing information through symbols,
including words and message”

• Communication may happen between superior and

subordinate, between peers, between a manager and a
client or customer, between an employee and a
government representative.
 FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
• Information function
information provided through communication
may be used for decision-making at various work
levels in the organization.
• Motivation function
Communication is also oftentimes used as a
means to motivate employees to commit themselves
to the organization’s objectives.
• Control function
When properly communicated, reports,
policies, and plans define roles, clarify duties,
Authorities and responsibilities.
• Emotive function
when feelings are repressed in the
organization, employees are affected by anxiety,
which, in turn, affects performance.
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 FORMS OF
COMMUNICATION
 2 MAJOR FORMS

• Verbal
• Nonverbal
• Verbal communications
are those transmitted through hearing or sight.
This mode of transmission categorizes verbal
communication into two classes: oral and written

Oral communication mostly involves hearing the

words of the sender
Written communication, however, has limitations
and to remedy these, some means are devised.
• Nonverbal communication
is a means of conveying message through the body
language.
 THE BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Various factors may impede the efficient flow of
communication. Any, or all, of these factors may, at any
point, derail the process. Even if the channel transmits the
message, the timing and the meaning of the message may
be affected by the factors.
THE BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
MAY BE CLASSIFIED GENERALLY AS
• Personal barriers
are hindrances to effective communication
arising from a communicator’s characteristics as a
person, such as emotion, values, poor listening habits,
sex, age race, socio economic status, religion,
education etc.
• Physical barriers
refer to interferences to effective
communication occurring in the environment where
the communication is undertaken.
• Semantic Barriers
is the study of meaning as expressed as
symbol. Words, pictures, or actions are symbols that
suggest certain meanings. When the receiver has
chosen the wrong meaning, misunderstanding
occurs. Such error constitutes a barrier to
communication.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

• When communication barriers threaten

effective performance, certain
measures must be instituted to eliminate
them. To eliminate problems due to
noise, selective perception, and
distraction, the following are
recommended:
 OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

• Use feedback
• Repeat messages
• Use multiple channels
• Use simplified language.
TECHNIQUES FOR COMMUNICATING IN
ORGANIZATIONS.
 DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

 Downward communication refers to message flows from higher

levels of authority to lower levels. Among the purposes of downward
communication are.

• to give instructions
• to provide information about policies and procedures
• to give feedback about performance
• to indoctrinate or motivate
• Upward communication
Concerns
-problems and exceptions
-suggestions for improvement
-performance reports
- financial and accounting
information
Downward communication
Concerns
- implementation of goals,
strategies and objectives
- job instruction and
rationale
- procedures and practice
- performance feedback
- indoctrination
 UPWARD COMMUNICATION
• Refers to messages from persons in lower-level positions to persons in
higher positions. The messages sent usually provide information on
work progress, problems encountered, suggestions for improving
output, and personal feelings about work and non-work activities.
• MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM
(MIS)

-REFERS TO THE PROCESSING OF INFORMATION

THROUGH COMPUTERS AND OTHER INTELLIGENT
DEVICES TO MANAGE AND SUPPORT MANAGERIAL
DECISIONS WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION.
 PURPOSE OF MIS
To provide a basis for the analysis of early warning signals that
can originate both eternally and internally.
To automate routine clerical operations like payroll and
inventory reports.
To assist managers in making routine decisions like scheduling
orders, assigning orders to machines, and reordering supplies.

To provide the information necessary for management to

make strategic or nonprogrammed decisions.